Eastern Railroad Discussion > Interesting NS Combo Train?

Saturday morning while looking over the new posts on TO and listening to the NS's west Georgia morning operations over the headphones I pick up on something about a 24E / 26A combo? Really. Is this some part of the new operating plan? I asked myself. Perhaps I need to put a set of eyes on this one. So I headed out to Temple only to see a west bound clear signal. This combo must be west of here so I headed to Bremen Ga. The tracks are empty so perhaps I missed it and it is already east of here. Then I hear the detector go off at Waco and hear the 24E call out “approach Bremen”. About that same time I hear NS 187 call out “clear Taylor” So they will meet here in the Sewell / Bremen 11,040 ft siding.

So I set up and snapped off a few of the head end of 24E and then headed west to see to my surprise a pair of mid-train units separating the stacks from the racks. Interesting. The entire train, holding the main is just about taking up the entire length of the siding. By now 187 is in the siding and 24E is cleared to continue east bound. Off to Temple I go as they will meet AMTK 19 there. Then I hear a string off instructions and responses along with repeating of signal status. Well I'll be there is a crew aboard that set of what I thought was “mid-train DPU's”

As it turns out apparently both trains had some type of mechanical issues west of Tallapoosa and as it was told to me neither was going to go anywhere without the other. So they coupled up and headed east. Now in the past it would not have been out of the ordinary for the each to try to get power off some west bound train. But these days the chances for that happening are slim to none!!! Besides when that occurs it just takes forever and causes even more delays on the railroad. 

But if it weren't for the undulating East End main line between Birmingham / Atlanta with the strains put on knuckles and draw bars it sure looked like a doable look for a new operating plan.

#1. NS 24E (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT2) - ATLANTA, GA) east bound on the main just east of Bremen Georgia. 

#2. NS 26A (VANCE ALA – ANGUILLA JCT, GA (GITM) coupled up to the rear of 24E In DPU???? 

#3. With AMTK 19(NEW YORK,NY-NEW ORLEANS,LA) holding the siding 24E with ditch lights off heads east past CP Temple MP 677.4 

… more to follow...

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

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#4. NS #7591 ES44DC & NS #3601 ET44AC lead this “combo” through Temple Georgia 

#5. A pair of Dash-9's follow along behind splitting the stacks & racks.

 #6. NS #1008 SD70ACe would lead NS 220 (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT)- ATLANTA, GA) the hottest east bound on the Alabama Division. After 220 clears Temple AMTK-19 would head west after holding in the siding for about 20 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by and always be safe when out track side!!!

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

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Great pictures! Thank you for posting. I always enjoy seeing shots from this area. How often does Amtrak 19 have two units?

Thank you again.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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. How often does
> Amtrak 19 have two units?
>
> Thank you again.

Well for as long as I can remember AMTK 19 & 20 have always had two units as all LD trains have had.
NSSpike
 

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

NSSpike Wrote:
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> Well for as long as I can remember AMTK 19 & 20
> have always had two units as all LD trains have
> had.

Not true about "all LD trains". The Lake Shore Limited has occassionally gotten just one engine in recent years, and I believe the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans often do as well.